


Broken Mess

by starkind



Series: Three Strong Hearts - A WonderIronBat Collection [1]
Category: Batman (Movies - Nolan), Iron Man (Movies), Wonder Woman (Movies - Jenkins)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Crossovers & Fandom Fusions, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/M, Getting Together, Multi, Prequel, Prompt Fic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-07
Updated: 2020-08-12
Packaged: 2021-03-05 23:28:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 7,096
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25753594
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/starkind/pseuds/starkind
Summary: Prequel to 'Bridging The Gap'After the Joker's mayhem in Gotham has come to an end, Bruce is hurting in various ways.Tony and Diana rally around him for some much-needed comfort... and an eventual revelation.
Relationships: Diana (Wonder Woman)/Tony Stark, Tony Stark & Bruce Wayne & Diana (Wonder Woman)
Series: Three Strong Hearts - A WonderIronBat Collection [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1726759
Comments: 17
Kudos: 22





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Edett](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Edett/gifts).



> This fic is for the lovely Edett, who challenged me with two ideas/prompts, one of them being the following scenario: 
> 
> "I was thinking you could write one post-Dark Knight pre Dark Knight Rises where Tony and Diana bring Bruce out of hiding in his manor and help him recover from his guilt over what happened to Harvey Dent and Rachel Dawes."
> 
> \--> The plot bunny who bit me decided that this part of the prompt should become a prequel to the overall WonderIronBat series. At this point in time, only Tony and Diana are a couple and Bruce is their close, mutual friend but not yet lover. 
> 
> @Edett: I wrote this in less than a day and... I sincerely hope it doesn't show too hard, LOL. I needed to get this posted and out of my system before I can start tackling the second half of your original prompt... Here, the plot bunnies have also sunk their teeth into my calves, but it will likely take a bit more time until it can get posted (for various reasons;)) 
> 
> Still, I hope this fic is remotely what you have imagined it to be!
> 
> Title is a song by Marc Philippe

They had not heard anything from Bruce for the past two weeks. Tony, used to his friend’s eccentrics, waved it off at first. “Darl, he’s been a brooder ever since I’ve known him. Remember how mopey he was when he first discovered this... Rachel gal was dating that other guy? Yeah. Bruce’s likely gonna be licking his wounds in private.”

However, things turned into a whole different ballgame when JARVIS provided him with the news.

**‘Murder of D. A. Harvey Dent. Batman a Wanted Fugitive in Gotham.’**

Tony’s uttered expletives brought his girlfriend around from where she had been inspecting his progress on her Ducati in his workshop. Diana cocked her eyebrow to which Tony made an elaborate gesture. “Fucking Gothamites. Turning on him though he’s tried his best to change it into a halfway decent city.” Not knowing what he was talking about, she gentled him aside to read the rest of the news ticker.

Once done, Diana shook her head. “He did not do this. Bruce’s code would never allow him to kill anyone, even if they deserved it.” Tony nodded, absentmindedly twirling a sprocket holder around his finger. “We’ll send him a message. See what he responds.” When it became clear that Bruce Wayne neither replied to messages nor answered any of his phones, his friends got in touch with Alfred Pennyworth.

The butler remained vague over the line but encouraged them to come over to Gotham whenever convenient for their schedules. Two days later, Tony and Diana greeted a tired and worn-out-looking Alfred at the doorstep of Bruce’s penthouse suite in the city center. “I have not told him about your visit. Things have been difficult, which is… also due to his physical condition.”

Neither Tony nor Diana commented on the word ‘also’ and instead left their get-well gift with the butler. While Alfred made sure to stow the two packs of Bruce’s favorite coffee brand away, they made their way up into the private area of the vast penthouse. They found their friend in his king-size bed, awake and resting against a propped-up pillow, with dark circles under his eyes.

Bruce also looked like he had not bothered to shave for a few days, matching his unkempt hair. Tony strolled closer, hands in the pockets of his jeans. “Been trying to reach you, Bboy. If it wasn’t for your butler, we’d have gone over to pinning 'Missing Friend' flyers all over town.” At the attempted humor, Bruce shot him a dark look. “Not in the mood, Tony.”

Said man clicked his tongue and peeked into a bowl and cup on a silver tray on the mahogany nightstand. “Not in the mood for nourishment, too, it looks like.” Another scowl was thrown his way. Diana interrupted their evolving bickering session with a resolute clearing of her throat.

“What is all this talk about you being wanted by the police?”

“Not me. Batman.”

Tony rolled his eyes, only to give a cunning squint seconds later. “So that means you’re finally able to put the cape to rest? Bout damn time.” Bruce’s features turned mulish. “I didn’t say that.” His friend crossed his arms with a flourish. “Dude, you can’t honestly think you’ll be able to dodge bullets from both the bad guys and the police? How long do you think this is gonna work?” Bruce's jaw twitched but he said nothing.

Tony held up two fingers. “Two weeks. Max. They’ll unmask your carcass before it's even cooled off and everybody will know anyhow. What’s the point? What the ever-loving fuck are you trying to prove, B?” Diana saw the deep breath Bruce took to give a very vocal reply. She carefully sat down on the edge of the mattress and put a gentle hand on Bruce's upper arm which was laying atop the sheets.

“What Tony is trying to say, but cannot express is that we don’t understand why you would take the blame for something you didn’t do.”

Bruce’s eyes were a swirl of unreadable emotions as he met hers. “That’s how it is.” She shook her head, eyes soft but holding a tinge of reproach.

“I don’t believe you. We,” she cast her lover a glance. “don’t believe you.”

“I know,” Bruce lowered his voice to a whisper and averted her gaze, “but it doesn’t matter.”

Something foreign then touched his wrist. Bruce watched how a slim, golden band wound around his skin and tried to pull away.

“No…”

Diana stilled his motions with a gentle, but solid palm on his forearm.

“Why did you do this?”

The lasso started glowing brighter. Tony watched with utter fascination, eyes darting from the distraught countenance of their friend and back. “Joker… he told me one of them was going to die since I couldn’t save them both.” Bruce swallowed, trying to resist the demanding force of the lasso even though it was of no use. Diana caressed the flexing muscles under his skin, trying to get them to relax.

“And then what?”

“He tricked me, and I fell for it. Switched locations. At 250 52nd Street, it was Harvey instead of Rachel…”

Here, Diana’s eyes flickered up to meet Tony’s and saw him pull a face. However, Bruce continued to speak, and they focused back on his monotonous voice. “... couldn’t save him, too… his mind... gone… I had to. He threatened to kill Gordon’s son where Rachel was killed…”

Tony softly swore under his breath and Diana cast him a look that told him to stay quiet. He started to distribute some of his restlessness by pacing through the vast penthouse bedroom, listening to his friend’s faltering voice while looking into the darkening skies of the city.

“Harvey shot me... still got him before he could kill Jimmy. We fell. Dent... didn’t make it.”

Nothing more followed for a while. Diana’s voice was firm as she was the first to speak up. “Bruce, you have done everything you could. It was Dent’s fault - and the Joker’s.” At that, Bruce started to shake his head on the pillow, face twisting with despair. “I failed. My fault, all of it.”

Tony exhaled audibly and walked back to the bedside. “C’mon B, that’s not true and you know it. Why did you take the blame?” He leaned in to try and catch his friend’s gaze. Bruce's glazed eyes traveled over to him, then back down to where his wrist still glowed in golden hues.

“Gotham shall never find out about the murders. The Joker can't win. But I can… be the one. I can take it.”

His face then twisted in an uncommon bout of open misery.

“Please… please stop. Hurts.”

In seconds, the lasso was gone from his skin and back at Diana’s hip. She leaned in to brush some hair from Bruce’s clammy forehead. “You’ve done well. Rest now, recover. We’ll be here when you wake up.”

After the exhausting events of the previous days, and the draining powers of the lasso, Bruce fell asleep almost instantly. While Tony went downstairs to look for Alfred and something to drink, Diana made sure to pull the covers up high and switch off all lights. She left some of the blinds up so that if Bruce woke, it would not be to complete darkness.

Before she left, she leaned in one more time and pressed a kiss to the man’s forehead.

+

By the time she arrived downstairs, Tony had claimed a barstool at the kitchen counter and was nursing something Diana’s enhanced senses identified as whiskey. Alfred stood behind the counter and had already prepared two glasses of soda for each of them. She thanked him and slipped on the chair next to her lover. Tony downed the rest of his liquor and indicated his quest for a refill by shaking the crystal tumbler.

Alfred shook his head to which Tony grimaced but complied and handed the glass back. “Good grief, that’s some serious guilt issues he's got there. How do we get him out of this?” Diana watched Alfred clean the tumbler with circumspect motions. The butler then gave a slight tilt of the head. “By being there for him, Master Anthony. By being his friend. Lord knows he needs one...” His blue eyes softened upon finding Diana.

“... or two. Especially once I have to give him this excruciating letter from Ms. Dawes.”

That got her to perk up.

“Which letter? What does it say?”

Alfred went somewhere out of their line of view. When he returned, there was a thin, white envelope in his hand which he put on the counter in between them both. Alfred braced himself against the marble surface and lowered his head with a sigh. “I did not have the heart to hand it over after all that has happened. But he deserves to know the truth, and needs to free himself of least a part of his guilt.”

Diana was the one to flip the unsealed lid open and pull out the folded piece of paper inside. She held it so that Tony was also able to read over her shoulder. Tony inhaled deeply when he reached the part of Rachel Dawes speaking about wanting to marry Harvey Dent, and felt his girlfriend reach for him with her free hand on his thigh. He then looked up into Alfred’s still stricken face.

“You’ve done the right thing, Alf. Not now. And preferably… not here.”

He then covered Diana’s hand that found its way onto his thigh and squeezed amicably. “I propose a change of scenery. For you and B. Come with us to Malibu. Fancy beach house secluded by the ocean. No paps and no stress. Let him recuperate from his injuries, see a physiotherapist - and a shrink, if necessary.” Pennyworth smiled as he ran a dishtowel over the delicate ornaments of the expensive glass.

“Thank you, Master Anthony. Matter of fact, I do have things to take care of here, and with the ongoing rebuilding process at Wayne Manor-”

He bent down to put the tumbler away. When he reappeared in their line of view, Alfred seemed less distressed.

“-Master Bruce, however, would benefit tremendously from what you just described. It would be a relief knowing him in good hands for a while.” 

Diana shared a smile with him while Tony nodded along.

“Pack light for him, Alf, he’ll be soaking up lots of sun in the next coupl'a weeks.”


	2. Chapter 2

When Bruce woke the next morning, it was to an empty bedroom. Once open, his eyes spotted a familiar scarf and an equally familiar leather jacket over the backrest of a chair. He squinted at the alarm clock which had been muted without his knowledge and frowned at the time. 1:34 pm. With one last look at the personal items of his guests, Bruce slung back the covers and decided on a shower.

While he washed up, he inspected the state of his injuries. A nasty-looking bruise was blooming all over his right side after Dent had shot him from close up. His suit thankfully had prevented a direct hit, but the blunt trauma had left the area raw and tender. His left knee was in equally bad shape, and once Bruce was dressed, he wrapped a self-adhesive ice pack around the joint and made his way downstairs.

There, Tony was lounging in the living room area, legs dangling over the armrest of a designer seat, browsing away on his tablet PC. Diana was outside, pacing along the large rooftop terrace, talking on the phone. Alfred was nowhere in sight, but there was a tray filled with food waiting for him on the kitchen counter. When he spotted him, Tony lowered the customized device into his lap and gave an amicable smirk.

“Hi, sleepyhead. Feeling better?”

Bruce did not answer, eyes sliding over to where Diana had spotted them and ended her call to step inside.

“Never do that again.”

Bruce’s voice was quiet but firm. Diana brushed her hair behind her ear and stepped up to where he stood. “I apologize for using the lasso on you.” With that, she extended a hand, her face open and unguarded. Doubt caused Bruce’s eyes to narrow at the edges. “I’m not falling for that again.” He sounded so petulant that Tony burst out in a snorting laugh. Upon her baffled expression, Tony hurried to explain.

“Bboy thinks you’re going for a ‘cuff and confess’ route again, darl. Gotta re-earn his trust the hard way.”

Diana dropped her outstretched hand and put it atop her chest instead, right over her heart. “Honorable Bruce Wayne, I swear on Hera and the Gods that I shall never force the lasso of truth on you again.” Her expression was what made Bruce stop glaring and incline his head in acceptance of her apology. Tony flipped the cover of his pad shut and put it aside to get to his feet.

“Now, as for me, I don’t swear on anything apart from my own creations, but that would be weird, so I’ll just put the news out in the open here: You’re scheduled for a prolonged R&R trip to Malibu, far away from this shithole city. We’re expecting you by the end of this week, preferably earlier. Oh, and no suits whatsoever.”

"I can't."

Tony's smirk turned roguish. "This isn't optional, B. Your butler's packing as we speak. That's three against one, democratic principle. You've been outvoted and benched. Bear it with pride." With that, Tony took Diana's hand and used his free palm to clap his friend's broad shoulder in passing.

"See you soon."

+

Bruce went incommunicado on them for the upcoming three days but arrived with a monogrammed weekender bag via rental helicopter shuttle at Stark Mansion on Friday afternoon. After greeting his friends, he went to freshen up in his designated room upstairs and showed up 45 minutes later, dressed in a pair of gray linen shorts and a dark t-shirt. His feet were bare and his face clean-shaven, matching his recent haircut. 

He stood hovering in the open patio and Tony beamed at him from his place at a large BBQ grill. A red apron was tied around his waist to cover his white t-shirt and colorful shorts. The flipflops on his feet made funny noises when he walked back and forth between the grill and a nearby table. “Excellent timing, B. Go grab a plate, this fella has your name on it.” He poked a spatula at a sizzling piece of meat.

Diana, also barefooted and in blue cotton shorts, a white tank top and with her hair up in a bun, squeezed past Bruce. “You know how he never cooks, but he adores that primal metal thing.” This elicited a small smile from Bruce and she gave him a gentle nudge to head outside. Tony pushed his sunglasses up higher with a finger and craned his neck to call after her as she headed back inside to fetch more cutlery.

“This is the best outdoor BBQ around, darl. It’s a manly issue, I don’t expect you to understand.”

His tone was teasing to which she threw him a pointed look over her shoulder.

“On Themyscira, Amazons cook over a real bonfire. And Bruce, please help yourself.”

Bruce enjoyed their banter with quiet politeness and did as he was told to. Equipped with a plate and a cold drink, he took a seat at the head of the outdoor table with Diana to his right and Tony to his left. The two of them led many conversations, leaving it up to him to participate when he wanted to while keeping a lookout for the state of his plate. Tony, especially, was eager to refill it two times.

Eventually, they were sated enough to wrap up leftovers and stock the dishwasher before returning to a spectacular sunset with a cup of espresso for Tony and Bruce, and a fizzy drink for Diana. Bruce was quick to empty his cup, looked at the couple lounging on a recliner big enough for two, and forced a smile on his face. “I don’t want to disturb your evening any longer. Thank you for the barbeque.”

Diana sat up to clasp him by the elbow. “Please stay. We love having you here, Bruce.” Her lover nodded. “Can’t beat the view either.” All three of them regarded the fiery sun and its slow descent on the horizon. Eventually, Bruce relented and sunk back into his recliner, folding his arms behind his head. Diana also leaned back and angled her body so that her feet were now propped up on the end of Bruce’s chair.

“Mind telling us about the friend you lost?”

At her blunt approach of a delicate topic, Diana felt her lover stiffen next to her. One of her hands started drawing idle circles over his bare forearm, and Tony took the hint and stayed quiet. Bruce’s face remained solemn even as he spoke. “Rachel and I had been friends since childhood. By the time I returned from Asia, she was the assistant district attorney. I had to convince her about my willingness to help the city.”

His friends listened without interruption seeing it was the first time he had ever come forward about his personal relations to people other than Alfred. Diana rested her cheek against Tony's shoulder, eyes trained on Bruce. “She knew about Batman.” It was not a question, and Diana watched him nod. “Did she approve?” They saw him frown. “No. Not at first. Later-” Bruce freed his hands to pinch the bridge of his nose.

“Dent and she were dating at some point. Before him, we’ve… we wanted to be together. But she told me she couldn’t because of… what I did.”

He stopped talking. Diana's hand on Tony’s forearm stilled. “Would you really have given up the cowl for her?” Her question was gentle. Bruce stared into the sunset for the longest time before his jaw set at an angle and his arms uncrossed to rest left and right of his body. “I think I would have, yes.” Tony hummed around the remains of a wooden skewer.

“But you cannot say for sure. From what I’ve understood, it was more like an ultimatum of sorts. Your Rachel was making you choose.”

Bruce’s expression turned sour.

“Don’t you dare to speak ill about her.”

Tony’s smile was tight.

“Well, I don’t want to, but she wasn’t playing entirely fair, now was she?”

In a matter of seconds, the mellow mood had shifted into one filled with tension.

“ _Tony.”_

Diana’s tone held a warning.

“What do you mean?”

Bruce’s voice was low and clipped. His hands had formed two tight fists. Tony sat up straight, elbows on his knees. “What would you say if I told you she never was going to leave him for you?” In a swift motion, Bruce rose from his recliner, irritation and hurt radiating off of him in palpable waves. “I don’t have to listen to this. Good night.” He was halfway across the patio before Tony got to his feet and followed him.

“You damn well have to listen to this, Bruce. Because there’s a letter. From your Rachel.”

Bruce froze in the doorway of the patio, one hand on its frame.

Tony and Diana shared a look, then Tony wet his lips and dared to move closer. Diana, too, rose from her seat, ready to intervene. When Bruce remained quiet, Tony continued to speak. “She left it with Alfred. But you’ve been so out of it the past week that Alf didn’t have the heart to hand it over yet. It says that she was going to marry Dent and basically threw you under the bus. If I were you, I wouldn't waste a single-”

With that, Bruce swung around. Betrayal and anger marred his features. “Who gives you the right?” Before Tony knew what was going on, Bruce was in his face, grabbing him by the front of his t-shirt. Eyes wide, Tony still sensed rather than saw Diana move. Seconds later, the pressure was gone and Bruce’s arms were pinned flat against his body. Diana met his furious stare and felt him struggle against her.

“Bruce. Please. I don’t want to hurt you. Neither does Tony.”

He continued to rage in her indomitable hold, furious at the restraint that came so easy to her. “Let. Me. Go.” Diana’s expression turned stern. “You have every right to feel betrayed and hurt. But we need you to trust and listen to us first. Afterward, you can decide if you wish to stay or not. Is that acceptable?” Tony eyed the scene with wariness. From the way he fingered his wristband, Diana knew he had readied one of his suits.

Finally, Bruce stopped fighting against her and gave a single, almost stubborn nod. Her grip on his arms lessened, and when he did not attempt another lunge at them, she dropped her hands and stepped back. Rubbing at the pressure points and circling his wrists, Bruce’s glower was directed at them both.

“Show me. The letter.”

+

Much to their surprise, Bruce did not leave the estate that night.

Once Tony had given it to him, he went inside to read it alone. His friends stayed out on the patio, watching him pace along the living room area, reading the few lines more than a dozen times. Eventually, when the sun was fully gone and it was dark and cloudy, Tony and Diana also headed inside. While she went upstairs to change into a pair of sweatpants, Tony gauged his friend’s mood from the open kitchen.

“Drink?”

Bruce shook his head, but the words prompted him to finally fold the letter and slip it back into the envelope. He sunk down into the corner of the large couch, frowning into the distance with the paper in a tight fist. “You shouldn’t have read this before I did.” Tony clicked his tongue as he grabbed two bottles of soda. “Maybe not. But we give more than a fuck about you and what you do with your life, okay?”

With that, he dropped next to Bruce into the cushions and opened one of the bottles. It sizzled as he twisted the cap open and took a sip. When Bruce remained silent and stared ahead with unseeing eyes, Tony dared to lightly nudge his shoulder. “How’s the leg? I got a great physiotherapist, he’ll have a look.” Their eyes fell on the slim orthopedic bandage mostly hidden underneath Bruce’s shorts.

“Stop pampering me.”

There was little resistance behind those words. Tony tsked as he put the bottle back.

“Humor me, Wayne.”

“Us.”

The two men looked up to see Diana approach them and made way for her to squeeze into their midst.

“Humor us you mean.”

Tony eyed his lover and the knowing glint in her eyes. His mouth curled in affectionate mockery.

“Bossy woman.”

Diana leaned in to steal a kiss from him.

“You need those in your life, dearheart.”

Next to her, Bruce snorted out what could be interpreted as a soft laugh. Diana thus turned to him and marveled at the fact that he did not draw away despite the close proximity and her earlier display of physical superiority. Her palm moved to cup his cheek, and she sensed a rising surge of confusion, longing, and apprehension. Diana smiled at him. “We’re always here for you.” She then leaned in to peck his other cheek.

"Any way you need us.” 


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Quick info: This chapter has a brief, non-graphic f/m scene in the beginning

It was nearing midnight when they bid each other goodnight and went their separate ways. Diana spent longer than Tony in the bathroom, and once she was done, she found him lying flat atop the sheets, ankles crossed, and phone in hand. "I've contacted Marty to get the yacht and the jetskis ready. Bruce always likes being on the water, so it's good to be prepared." He then noticed her attire and put the phone aside.

“Are you going to make a move on me while we have a guest two rooms further down the corridor?”

Tony’s voice was cheeky, but the way his eyes roamed over her bare legs was anything but. Diana’s smile was smug when she dropped the short creme-colored satin robe, wearing nothing else underneath. “I am the one with the enhanced hearing, not Bruce.” Tony’s heated gaze followed her every step to the bed. “I wouldn't be so sure of that. But all the walls are soundproof, so he wouldn't hear a thing.”

Diana’s smile was cunning as she straddled him and rid him of his shirt and shorts. They were joined minutes later, with Tony on his back and enjoying the view. She leaned forward to whisper into his ear. “Would you want him to?” Breathless, he stopped kneading her thighs.

“Huh?”

Her hips stilled and a mischievous smirk curled her mouth.

“Hear us? Know what we’re doing right now? Know we're talking about him? Would you like that?”

Tony cursed under his breath and thrust up, trying to get her to move again. “Fuck, Di, you… what are you saying?” Her lips sucked a light bruise into the side of his neck. “I know you desire him. I can see it in the way you’re watching him. Smell how he arouses you.” Her voice had shifted into a throaty timbre, and her eyes were dark and stormy as she drew back to catch his gaze.

“I desire him, too, you know.”

That elicited a loud moan from Tony, followed by a surge of desire as she picked up her pace again. Their mutual climax surprised and sated both of them soon after. Once Diana was curled up next to her lover, she propped her head up on an elbow and started to circle the ARC with a finger. "He's been watching as well. Very subtle, though." Tony hummed, eyes closed in post-coital bliss. "You're worth watching, darl."

She flipped her hair back over her shoulder. "Not just me." Tony cracked one eye open. "My butt or my face? Wait, don't tell me. It's my butt, isn't it?" Diana rolled her eyes for him to see. His lips curved upward as he began to run a palm over her bare hip. "Bruce's never let on if he swings both ways. I may have made a move on him back in the days, but the heck I remember." She leaned in to nuzzle at his temple.

"... Because it's been so long since then?"

He pinched her thigh, which earned him a gentle bite of his earlobe. "Technically, I'm way younger than you, you minx. And for the record, I've likely been drunk and high up to my eyeballs throughout most of the 90s, so..." The biting subsided and with a rustle of fabric, Diana slipped under the covers. “We need to figure out how to let him know about our feelings.” She sounded determined.

Tony stifled the yawn that wanted to escape his mouth and snuggled deeper into the pillow. “Somehow I doubt his current predicament is making him extra horny for us.” She poked at his nose and grinned when he crinkled it with a grumble. “We mustn’t rush things of course. He is still hurting, the least we want is scare him off.” Her lover mumbled a sleepy confirming sound and pulled her close.

+

The next morning, Tony felt Diana kiss his cheek before she slid out of bed, heading out on her usual morning beach run. He turned around and dozed off shortly after. What woke him an indefinite time later was a far away splashing from somewhere downstairs on the terrace. Bleary-eyed, Tony checked the time, decided 9 am was actually far too early, but rolled out of bed on the quest for coffee.

Out on the patio, visible from the open kitchen area, Bruce was doing laps in the pool, executing seemingly effortless butterfly strokes and gliding through the water in a steady rhythm. When he reached the end of the pool, he dove up and held onto the white-tiled rim, breathing hard.

“Morning, B. Slept well?”

Bruce craned his neck into the direction of the sonorous voice and saw Tony leaning in the open doorway of the patio, one foot crossed over the other, wearing nothing but checkered boxer shorts. His dark hair was mussed, face unshaven and eyes small from sleep. Still, he smiled so warmly around a small espresso cup that Bruce had no choice but to return the smile, even if he was quick to avert his gaze.

“I did.”

He brushed wet hair from his forehead and squinted up at his spectator. "Pool's all yours if you want." Tony's smile turned deflective. "Nah, not a fan of this whole working-out-at-ass-hours-thing." To his watchful eyes, Bruce then crossed the distance over to the pool's underwater staircase. When he rose from the water, Tony could not help but stare.

A huge, purple-blue map of bruises ran from his ribcage down to the hem of his dark bathing shorts. Tony whistled. “Looks vile. Sure you don’t need a doctor to have a look at it? We could say you fell during a hike.” Reaching for a towel on one of the recliners around the pool, Bruce started to dry himself off, careful not to aggravate the area in question. “Looks worse than it is.”

Tony tsked before he finished his espresso and disposed of the cup on the windowsill. "Should've let me handle this. Told you times and times before. Just the exoskeleton if you want, nothing's ever come near your precious bod again." Bruce grimaced. "Not flexible enough. We've talked about this." All cheeky, Tony raised his arms in the air to go for a big body stretch. "We'll add rubber bands to the mix, no prob."

This prompted Bruce's first real chuckle ever since his arrival, and Tony joined in, carefully nudging his uninjured side.

“Good morning you two.”

Diana approached them, a large paper bag with a fancy bakery logo in one arm. She was dressed in light running attire and covered in a slight sheen of sweat. Tony nabbed her by the waist and pulled her close. “How was your run?” She returned his kiss with a small protest at soaking him with sweat. “Relaxing. The shore was almost empty.” Her eyes traveled over to where Bruce was now rubbing his hair dry.

“Let's eat breakfast outside. It’s a beautiful morning.”

Tony nodded and took the bag from her hand. “Go grab a shower, I got this.” Bruce slung the towel around his shoulder. “I can help as well. I'll just get dress-” Tony held up a palm. “Heck no, you're our guest and we’re having a leisure bathrobe breakfast. Go grab one from the closet in your room and get back down here.” Diana dragged Bruce along before he could even begin to protest.

When he returned, he wore a dark-gray bathrobe; hair floppy and the shadow of a beard still present on his chin and cheeks. His lack of vanity was appreciated before Tony, in an extravagant robe he had left untied, pressed an espresso cup into his hand and shooed him outside. Shrugging his shoulders, Bruce went to sit under the large sun shade sail canopy, looking across the shimmering ocean.

Eventually, Diana joined them in a white, fluffy bathrobe and her damp hair in a high bun. A tall carafe filled with juice was in her hand, which she put on the garden table that had been set with anything Tony seemingly had found in the fridge. "Who eats green olives for breakfast?" She turned the package around to read the ingredients. Tony shrugged and popped a piece of pastry into his mouth.

"Bruce does."

The man in question looked up from where he was about to put jam on a croissant.

"What? No!"

Diana held out the sealed package into his direction with an inviting shake.

"Feel free to indulge."

Bruce pulled a face.

"I hate olives."

Tony bit into a watermelon triangle and gestured along with its rind.

"See, I knew there was a connection. I just never remember which."

His girlfriend lightly whacked him in the shoulder with the olive package before she got up to return it to the fridge. When she came back, the topic at the table had shifted towards the leisure activities of the upcoming day. Tony eyed their guest. "Any preferences Bboy? Yachting? Jetskiing? Snorkeling?" Bruce gave an easy smile that lacked true emotion. "I am fine with whatever." His eyes flickered out to where the ocean lay.

Diana leaned forward, elbows on the table.

"Let's spend the afternoon on the water and see."

+

" _'Sea My Moola'_. Really?"

Bruce sounded vaguely indignant as he regarded the yacht's hull, though the corners of his mouth twitched. Tony raised his chin and looked at him. "Gotta love a good pun." Bruce cast him a sideways look, mirroring in his shades. "Emphasis on good." Tony's wide grin exposed white teeth. "Eye of the beholder and all that." Diana, who was walking down the jetty in front of them threw a glance over her shoulder. 

"Be glad you didn't hear the other suggestions."

Now it was Tony's turn to be indignant.

"Hey!"

His girlfriend blew him a kiss and hopped onto the yacht with a nimble move. They pulled out of the harbor with Tony maneuvering the vessel himself. He had chosen to have no crew on board to give them more privacy, and Marty the maintenance manager had passed him the necessary documents and keys. Once they were in open waters, he allowed Bruce to take over at the helm, standing next to him with a big grin.

"You gotta admit that's a lot of fun."

Bruce twisted the joystick as he had been told to, and the boat leaned into yet another sharp turn.

"It is nice."

The twin helm seats were built close to each other, and Tony allowed his body to lean into Bruce's as gravity forced him to. When Bruce made no move to push him away, Tony dared to put his palm with his chin on top of it on Bruce's shoulder. "If you want it, it's yours." Never taking his eyes off the horizon, Bruce snorted softly. "Why would I need a boat?" Tony exhaled a hum; his breath ghosting over Bruce's ear.

"Seeing it makes you happy? Life's too short to deny yourself what you want."

Bruce's chest rose as he took a deep breath. From up close, Tony saw the way his jaw worked, but a faint buzzing sound interrupted any possible reply. Bruce was quick to reach for his phone in the pocket of his shorts. "Wayne." Tony drew back and braced himself against his own seat. Eventually, his friend motioned for them to switch places, and with a brief, apologizing quirk of the mouth, Bruce was gone.

Tony put the boat back on the course he had picked out, from time to time glimpsing over to where Bruce had meandered out onto the main deck, standing with his back towards the cockpit, facing the sea. At some point, the call ended, and Bruce made his way over to the aft deck. Putting the ship on autopilot, Tony hurried to join him and Diana. Bruce caught his questioning gaze and tilted his head.

"I have to be back in Gotham tomorrow evening."

"We agreed on having you here at least for a week, Bboy. If this is one of your schemes to," here, Tony put up his fingers for air quotation marks. "Not be a burden, then I'm sorry to break it to you - you're not. We quite like having your sorry ass around us 24/7." A faint blush crept over the hollow of Bruce's throat but he managed to keep his face neutral. "I'm honored, but something came up. Something I can't do remotely."

"So take care of things and come back afterward."

"It's... not that easy."

Tony pursed his lips with a sassy expression.

"Oh, but it can be."

At that, his girlfriend threw him a glance. "If Bruce wishes to come to visit, I'm sure he knows he's always welcome." Tony critically eyed his friend, to which Bruce gave a very distinct nod. Mollified enough, Tony put his feet up on the lounge. “But we'll do a farewell BBQ then, to commemorate your far-too-brief stay.” Bruce nodded again, casting Diana a small, thankful smile. She returned it with warmth in her gaze.

+

On Saturday evening, Tony saw to light a fire in the seldom-used open fireplace outside on the patio. Halfway into the endeavor, Diana scolded and teased him for not being able to properly stack firewood and, after a brief lovers' quarrel, went and took over. The result was as impressive as she had promised. Like on the previous evening, they ate and drank before heading for the outdoor couch arrangement afterward.

It provided enough space for at least five people, but Bruce still chose to sit on the far outside corner while Tony and Diana were sprawled out on the centerpiece of the sofa. “So, what’s the bottom line of this getaway weekend? Are you finally ditching rainy Gotham and move to LA for good?” Tony’s brazen question made Bruce quirk his lips. “You wish.” Upon his pout, Bruce was quick to amend with a lopsided smile.

“I had a great time, thanks to both of you.”

Diana regarded him with a pensive expression.

“Is there anything you still wish to do?”

Bruce eyed the flickering flames for the longest time, equally thoughtful. Eventually, he nodded.

“There is.”

With that, he got up, leaving his friends to watch him walk over to the burning pyre. He stood with his back towards them for the longest time. Eventually, he reached into the pocket of his pants and pulled out a piece of paper. Tony glimpsed at the profile of his girlfriend. Diana’s brows were slightly furrowed, and her fingers interlaced with his. Neither of them dared to say a word.

After a while, Bruce then looked down, likely reading the words on paper one more time. A moment later, he raised his head. When he cast a look over his shoulder, he found Diana and Tony regarding him; their faces open and gentle. Bruce pressed his lips together and turned back to the licking flames. He then stepped forward, stretched out his arm, and released his grip on the paper.

The letter from Rachel flittered into the fire and was eaten up by the flames almost instantly.

Before Bruce was able to reclaim his previous corner seat, Diana and Tony separated and left him no choice but to sit in their midst. He accepted, though with a coiled tension and his hands cupping his knees. Diana was the first to scoot closer, put her elbow on the backrest, and her hand on his shoulder. She felt the twitch of muscle under her palm but went as far as putting her chin on the back of her hand.

"No one expects you to forget. Keep her memory within your heart and soul..."

Her soft words so close to his ear made him suppress a small shiver.

“...but allow yourself to be free for what you want in your life as well."

Bruce wet his lips and looked down at the item on Diana’s hip. “I need…” Seeing the determination on his face made her unhook the lasso from its place. Instead of looping it around his wrist like back in Gotham, Diana laid it out on the cushion between them with a small frown. “Take your time, Bruce. It does not have to be today.” With a shake of the head, he curled his fingers around it on his own accord.

Its powers surged through his body and he forced himself to remain calm and not resist the pull at his subconscious. Bruce then looked up into the curious and anticipating faces of his friends. “I... want you… Both. Have been... for a while. I never thought... and I don’t know how... or if... it will work out. I’m… scared of losing you, too.” The last part was said with a deep frown, and he let go of the lasso as if he had been burnt.

Diana was quick to remove it out of his direct proximity, but Bruce kept on frowning at the space between his feet. Tony’s eyes crinkled with relief and utter affection. “Oh, Bboy, you adorable fool.” With that, he reached out, cupped Bruce’s jaw in one palm, tilted his chin up, and kissed him. Bruce made the smallest noise in the back of his throat, which only increased when Diana moved until she sat squarely on his lap.

When the kiss broke, Bruce’s expression hovered somewhere between bemused and astonished. It was with slow, cautious motions that he dared to put his hands around her waist, interlinking them in the small of her back. Diana gave a pleased hum, took his face in between her palms, and waited until he was able to really look her in the eye. “We’re so glad you want the same we do.” His frown returned full-force.

"I've never done this before."

Faint embarrassment swung within his words. Diana's index finger smoothened out the crinkle between his brows before she traced his cheekbones. "We will take things slow." She then brushed the pad of her thumb over his lips. "May I?" Instead of an answer, Bruce's hands unlinked to travel up to her shoulder blades. When he gently pulled her towards him, Diana went along to meet him halfway.

The faintest whiff of Tony’s aftershave lingered on his skin, and she hummed against his lips in pleasure. "You're very kissable, Bruce Wayne." He gave a soft, huffing laugh against her mouth. "So are you." His eyes flickered over to where Tony sat close by, radiating a mixture of desire and contentment. Tony then cleared his throat. "Now... with this pivotal game-changer situation... any chance you're gonna stay after all?"

Diana tsked. "That's not taking things slow, dearheart." Tony pulled a face even before Bruce's expression spoke of regret. "Afraid not. Lucious needs me." Bruce's eyes traveled from Diana back over to the other man. "I might be able to steal away a bit earlier, though." Resting his head in his palm, elbow on the headrest of the couch, Tony cast them both a magnificent smile.

"Well, you're not Batman for nothing."

THE ~~END~~ BEGINNING ~~~~

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tony's yacht inspired by this model:  
> https://www.yachtworld.com/boats/2020/maritimo-x50-3522846/
> 
> For an on-board feel, watch 30 seconds of this vid:  
> https://youtu.be/BQwEJTxEqAs?t=119


End file.
